Means for displaying samples



-B. F. STENZ MEANS FOR DISPLAYING SAMPLES Filed Jan. 20, 1927 WITNESSES XNVENTOR Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

BERNARD I. STENZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y .ASSIGNOR TO SIMPLEX SAMPLING ASSOCIA- T ION, IN 0., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR DISPLAYING SAMPLES.

Application filed January 20, 1927. Serial No. 162,404.

In certain industries the merchandising of products by displaying samples is extremely diflicult because of their inherent characteristics; for example, in the sale of brick, tile and ,similar architectural building units it is practically impossible for the salesman to carry with him samples-or specimens representative of the various types which he wishes to display, because of their weight and bulk. Because of this inability to submit an informing line of samples to a prospective customer, it has heretofore been 1mpossi'ble for the customer to obtain in advance of placing his order any satisfactory impression as to the appearance in completed form of an architectural assemblage of such units. 7

Such building units are produced in many different forms, colors and surface finish. Typical of this situation are brick and tile in which a given line while generally of umform size and shape, yet vary in color and surface texture, and where the color is supposed to be of a general classificatlong as for instance, red, or other prime color, there will be variations in the tone of that color in a particular line. For instance, as is well known to those skilled in this art, what may be called the red line will embody units varying in color tone from those of a dark red approaching a black to those of a light red or pink color.

In the use of such units, architects and builders select and combine in an architectural assemblage, units varying in surface appearance, particularly as to color tone, producing an effect which has become generally known as a rug effect. It w1ll of course be impossible, because of the physical characteristics of building units of this type, for a salesman to carry about with him a suiiicient number of such units so that his prospective customer may be able to determine whether the architectural efl'ectwhich he desires to produce will result, and to ship a complete line of samples will involve considerable expense.

One object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide relatively inexpensive,

light and thin display cards disclosing upon one face thereof facsimiles of the form, color and surface texture or finish of such building units, or an architectural assemblage thereof, so that a prospective customer may be afforde'd a complete and adequate disclosure,

not only of the appearance of the units themselves, but also may determine the appearance of an architectural assemblage of such units, the reproductions or facsimiles thereof simulating in every detail the surface appearance of the actual units.

Another object of this invention in addition to enabling a manufacturer to furnish a prospective customer'or a salesman with a complete line of such facsimiles is to thereby provide means whereby it is possible for an architect or builder to produce and reproduce an arbitrary architectural assemblage of such facsimiles showing various surface effects and architectural features, such as a fire place or wall, and to change the assemblage at will, until the desired eflect has been produced, and to preserve it by means of a record or chart, in such form that a builder on the ground using the actual units may accurately reproduce the architectural assemblage which has been previously created.

lhe present invention therefore consists of display cards or slabs showing a facsimile as to shape and surface finish, of an architectural building unit or an architectural assemblage of 'such units, and it further consists of the method of producing and reproducing such architectural assemblages, all as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The present invention, as embodied in the means and method relating to those building units generally known as brick, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which i Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary view of an assemblage of my display cards or slabs representing a brick wall;

Fig. 2 is a face view of a display card or slab showing one face of a brick;

Fig. 3 is a sectional vView taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4c is a display card or slab showing an end view of a brick;

Fig. 5 is a front view of an assemblage of such cards or slabs showing the appearance of a brick fireplace, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form.

It is of course understood that as compared to the actual size of the building units and assemblages illustrated, all of the views in the drawing are very much reduced in size.

In forming my cards or slabs 10 I employ a relatively thin, strong and light material, such as paper, cardboard, celluloid, or other similes of single units as showing the suitable material, and in producin facace of a brick, these cards or slabs 10 will preferably be embossed, as indicated at 11 in Fi 3, and the outersurface will be suitably co ored so as to represent truly the color and texture of the brick which is simulated. Along two of the margins of .the portion 11, preferably along one of the longer and one of the shorter marginal edges, the card or slab lO will be provided with representations of mortar lines 12 and 13, showing in surface finish and color a correct representation of such mortar lines. These cards or slabs will preferably show in full size one surface of a building unit} but of course size is not an essential element, excepting Where it is deemed material to provide these facsimiles of full standard size. It is obvious, however, that such facsimiles of very much reduced size will be entirely effective to reproduce in miniature any desired architectural assemblage and to convey an adequate impression in miniature of the appearanceof such assemblage.

In Fig. 4 the card-or slab 13 carries a facsimile of one of the end portions of a brick, and is provided with a border on two sides representing the mortar joints 15 and 16. It is apparent that by the two sizes any usual typical brick assemblage or architectural arrangement or so-called bond may be repro- .duced.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing I have illustrated a modification in which the representation of the brick 17 will be bounded upon all four sides with mortar joint representations 18 and 19.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, a plurality of the cards and slabs 10 have been assembled and grouped, and they have been selected to produce a harmonious blending of color tones. The separate cards or slabs 10 and 13 are, as indicated at 20, provided with identifying marks or designations, each mark identifying brick of identically the same surface texture and color tone.

Assuming now that the arbitrary assemblages, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 are to be reproduced by an architect or builder on the ground where a building operation is under way, a chart will be made which in outline will correspond to the assemblages shown, which chart may or may not be colored, but inwhich each unit will be identified by placing thereon its particular identifying character 20. By means of such charts the original arbitrary assemblage of units may be reproduced by the one receiving such a chart, either by utilizing facsimiles or in the building by the use of the actual building units.

To facilitate the use of these facsimiles in producing assemblages thereof, they will preferably be provided with suitable means, such as an adhesive on the back thereof, or other suitable means, whereby when assenfbled they may be aifixed in assembled or group form on-a chart or a blank sheet of paper or other support.

In the use of these facsimiles the manufacturer of the building units, such as brick, may produce arbitrary architectural assemblages and from such assemblages produce charts, and such charts may be sent to his customers by mail.. Assuming-that the customers are supplied with facsimiles representing the line of brick produced by the manufacturer, by selecting those indicated on the chart by their arbitrary numbers or designating characters 20, he can reproduce the efi'ect of this arbitrary assemblage and thus determine whether the arrangement and color scheme is one useful for his purpose. Obviously of course he may by the use of the facsimiles rearrange them to suit himself.

Assuming that the facsimiles are made full size, they will impart to the observer a very realistic impression, and as before stated, I preferably make them of full size; but it is entirely within the scope of my invention to make them very much reduced in size, as compared to the actual units represented, and by the employment of such reduced size facsimiles pleasing and realistic models of architectural assemblages may be created.

While I have described my cards or slabs as being embossed, thus to show surface texture, I do not desire to be understood that my inventionvis limited to so producing or simulating the surface of such building units for the devices will be entirely useful even though the color and texture be represented by printing, lithographing or other suitable means.

It is of course obvious that the identifying characters 20 while they are shown in the drawing as upon the face of the device illustrated, yet in order that they may not interfere with the appearance of the facsimiles they may be placed upon the back thereof. Of course where Figs. 1 and 2 are employed as a chart merely intended as a guide the in dicating characters may be placed by pencil or pen or other suitable marking devices upon the face of the chart.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A rectangular display card or slab having upon one surface thereof a facsimile representation in shape, color and texture of one surface of a rectangular architectural building unit, and a marginal extension along two adjacent angularly disposed edges of said representation to simulate mortar, the other angularly disposed marginal edges of the facsimile representation being coincident with the corresponding marginal edges of and a marginal extension along two adjacent angularly disposed edges of said representation to simulate mortar, the other angularly disposed marginal edges of the facsimile representation being coincident with the corresponding marginal edges of the card or slab, the surface of the marginal extension being relatively lower than the surface of the facsimile representation.

3. A multi-sided display card or slab having upon one surface thereof a facsimile representation in shape, color and texture of one surface of a multisided architectural unit, and a marginal extension along certain of the adjacent angularly disposed edges of said representation to simulate mortar, the other angularly disposed marginal edges of the facsimile representation being coincident With the corresponding marginal edges of the card or slab.

BERNARD F. STENZ. 

